Rural Water Supply Systems Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Leak Detection Methods Using Hydraulic Modelling and Sensitivity Analysis in Rural and Urban–Rural Areas

Water scarcity is a significant global challenge, exacerbated by leakages in water distribution networks. This paper addresses the challenge of detecting leakages in rural and urban–rural water supply systems through hydraulic modelling and a sensitivity analysis. Two distinct real-world network models were studied to assess real and simulated leakage scenarios varying in location and magnitude. A distinct leakage detection approach utilizing outflow measurements from hydrants was tested. Additionally, the effectiveness of various statistical measures—such as correlation, angular closeness, Euclidean distance, Manhattan distance, Chebyshev distance, cosine similarity, and Spearman correlation—were evaluated to determine their efficacy in leakage detection. Different methods for identifying leak candidates were explored and compared, either by selecting a single leak candidate based on similarity measures or by identifying a group of candidates to mark leak hotspots. Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise was used to assess the number of potential leak candidate groups. The study’s findings contribute to the optimization of leak detection strategies in water supply networks, particularly in rural settings, where detection is challenging due to scarce measurement datasets, budget restrictions, and operational constraints.

Enhanced Automation, Operation, And Management of Rural Water Supply Systems Using IoT Technologies

Enhanced Automation, Operation, And Management of Rural Water Supply Systems Using IoT Technologies

Reactivation of public–private partnership (PPP) models for rural water supplies in Rwanda: strengthening operation and maintenance systems

ABSTRACT The responsibility for operation and maintenance (O&M) in rural piped water supply systems in Rwanda has been transferred from the community to private operators (POs) during 2004. However, water supply services were suspended in many cases because of a lack of proper rehabilitation and regular maintenance due to technical and institutional capacity gaps of POs and other key stakeholders. As countermeasures, this project used the following six approaches: elaborating the O&M framework including the adoption of a licensing system for POs, establishing a drinking water quality monitoring framework, developing stakeholder capacity, developing inventory data and facility mapping, strengthening data management systems, and installing the necessary equipment for water supply management. As a result, the annual downtime of water supply services in the model districts was reduced by 41%. The result was inferred to be mainly related to the establishment of a licensing system for POs, improved reporting mechanism and royalty payment strategy, dedicated bank accounts for water, and the development of an asset inventory. To reactivate the public–private partnership models, it was important to identify specific issues from the national guidelines and contents of the contract between asset owners and POs to activities in the field and to work on improving them realistically.

Simulation and Optimal Scheduling of Water Quality in Urban and Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in the Northwest Arid Region of China

Simulation and Optimal Scheduling of Water Quality in Urban and Rural Water Supply Systems: A Case Study in the Northwest Arid Region of China

Determinants of Community Participation in Sustainable Management of Rural Water Supply System: Evidence from District Lahore, Pakistan

Sustainable functionality of rural water supply systems is one of the most imperative aspects to ensure the provision of safe drinking water for communities. In recent decades, a number of projects have been initiated by national and international organizations to meet the desired need for safe drinking water and sanitation, but a large proportion of these development projects fail shortly after their execution. The majority of water supply projects fail in rural communities within three years after development due to the least level of community participation regarding decision-making, site identification, planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation and management process and, above all, unawareness, lack of basic technical and management skills. This study presents the most influencing determinants of community participation that are compulsory for the sustainable functionality of rural water supply systems. This study was conducted in the district of Lahore, Pakistan and simple random sampling methods and techniques were applied to draw the sample from the population. A semi-structured questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. The result of the study indicated that a significant association existed among community participation in planning, execution, operation, maintenance & evaluation processes and sustainability functionality of rural water supply systems.

Sustainability Analysis of Community-Managed Rural Water Supply Project: A Case Study of Kaski District

After the 1992 International Conference on Water and the Environment in Dublin, a new approach to rural water supply was adopted being that the water should be managed at the lowest appropriate level, with users involved in the planning and implementation of projects. As per the data of DWSSM (2019) even though the basic level water supply coverage of Nepal is 87.22% among the water supply schemes providing service to the people only 28.13% of the schemes are fully functional. The lack of functionality questions the investment of different agencies as projects do not operate throughout project life and the public are facing the problem of not getting safe and reliable water. The main aim of this study was to assess the post-construction status of these projects in relation to their sustainable management. For this, six water supply projects completed over the last five years have been studied. During the study, the data was collected from the structured questionnaire, focal group discussion, Key informants’ interviews and field observations. These water supply projects were evaluated based on five main criteria namely economic, technical, social, institutional, and environmental factors. From the study it is observed that the sustainability score of Syaude Lifting WSP is 62.82%, Serokhola WSP is 66.74%, Lumre WSP is 64.25%, Sudame WSP is 54.97%, Bhachok WSP is 63.74% and Chisapani WSP is 76.90%. The economic and technical aspect of sustainability is found poor in all of these water supply projects. The major problem faced by the community is the lack of financial resources and technical capacity-building programs in the construction stage which have ultimately hampered the project's sustainability. Post-construction training, technical and capacity-building training, support policies and programs are important requirements for the sustainable development of rural water supply systems.

Еколого-гігієнічна оцінка стану водозабезпечення населення Рівненської області за період 2010-2020 років

Objective. The problem of the quality of water supply for the population of Ukraine is getting worse every year. This is one of the most important threats to the national security of Ukraine. Poor quality water can cause many infectious and non-infectious diseases. This confirms the need to monitor the quality of water from springs and drinking water consumed by the population. Goal: еcological and hygienic assessment of the quality of drinking water consumed by the population of the Rivne region and the dynamics of its changes for the period 2010-2020. Research methods: sanitary and hygienic, bibliometric, analytical. Research results. The materials on the state of centralized and decentralized water supply of the urban and rural population of the Rivne region for 2010-2020 have been summarized and systematized. During this period, the percentage of inconsistency of water samples from sources of centralized water supply according to sanitary and chemical indicators increased by 1.06 times. Then, as from the centralized water supply network (MCSV) in 1.8 times. There was an alarming trend towards an increase in the non-compliance of water quality with MCV according to microbiological indicators: from 5.4% in 2010 to 19.8% in 2020. For rural water supply systems, it was established that the percentage of non-compliance above the regional average according to microbiological indicators was in Goshchanskyi (72.2% in 2020), Dubenskyi (28.8% in 2016), Kostopilskyi (80.0% in 2020), Mlynivskyi (42.37% in 2017), Rivneskyi (46.1% in 2015) and Zdolbunivskyi (50% in 2016) districts. It was found that the average regional indicator of non-compliance of drinking water from sources of decentralized water supply according to sanitary and chemical indicators increased 1.2 times over the studied period from 26.2% in 2010 to 31.8% in 2020. Average regional indicator of non-compliance of drinking water samples decentralized water supply according to microbiological indicators for 2010-2020 was characterized by constant growth: from 8.4% in 2010 to 30% in 2020. Conclusion. Taking into account the threatening trend of deterioration of the quality of drinking water according to microbiological indicators, the need to take urgent measures regarding the introduction of modern technologies and means of water disinfection for drinking needs is substantiated

Technical and economic impact of water reuse as an integrated water resource management measure in rural water supply systems

ABSTRACT Water reuse becomes an alternative to reduce the demand in the conventional water supply systems, especially in regions, where non-potable use of drinking water, as for garden and grass irrigation, is predominant. This study evaluates the footprint of reuse on small water supply systems in rural areas, where raw water quality does not meet the drinking water standards and complicated treatment is needed. Individual facilities for reuse of potential rainwater, light gray, gray and domestic wastewater in the households could lead to a decrease in non-potable tap water use up to 60% and a decrease of households' annual expenses for water supply up to 93 €/household. The installation of individual facilities for common reuse of rainwater and gray wastewater requires the highest investment costs, but the option`s operational costs are between 15% and 20% lower than all other options considered. The Drinking Water Treatment Plant capacity reduction due to Integrated Water Resource Management measures implementation enables from 48% up to 58% saving in the total operational costs for drinking water supply in the settlement. The shortest payback period and best economic impact of reuse for small scale water supply systems is observed if rainwater and gray wastewater are reused together.

Input allocative efficiencies for operation and maintenance of rural piped water supply systems in highland areas of Vietnam

Strengthening the functioning of existing rural piped water supply systems is a critical strategy for ensuring household water security, particularly in water-scarce contexts. Improving operation and maintenance (O&M) of the systems is an important area of focus, commonly plagued by poor reliability and functionality over time. From an economic perspective, there is an opportunity to optimise O&M input efficiencies as a foundation for improved management. This paper presented challenges and opportunities to optimise O&M input efficiencies based on an analysis of water supply systems in Vietnam’s highland areas characterised by mountainous terrain and water scarcity. The analysis focused on state-based agencies for O&M given their mandate for restoring the inefficient systems and identified input norms for guidance on how to optimise O&M activities. We applied an input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) model under constant returns to scale assumption to estimate technical, economic and allocative efficiencies. The results identified efficiency levels of 90%, 30% and 33% respectively. The study suggests a 10% reduction in general input amounts and identified efficient input target values reveal potential reduction rates for technical labour (12%), electricity (12%), as well as the technical and economic norms of technical labour (0.86 person- day∙(100 m3)–1 water sold) and electricity (0.53 kWh∙m–3 water sold). The policy implications for O&M state-based agencies include the adoption of input-based contracting mechanisms, while the government is encouraged to approve water tariffs and provide compensation based on input items to promote water service supply as a public good in water- scarce and challenging areas.

A Review Article on Analysis and Design of Water Distribution Network for Jabalpur Cantonment Board Area

The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) stands as a transformative initiative aimed at ensuring accessible and potable water supply to every rural household across India. This review article delves into assessing the comprehensive impact of the JJM on rural water supply systems, with a primary focus on evaluating its assessment methodologies, distribution network designs, and analytical aspects.The assessment section scrutinizes the strategies employed under the JJM for gauging the water needs of rural communities. It examines the mission's effectiveness in identifying and addressing the diverse and dynamic requirements of different regions, considering factors such as population density, topography, and water quality.Furthermore, the design of the distribution network within the JJM framework is critically analyzed. This includes an exploration of the planning, engineering, and implementation methodologies used to establish robust and efficient water supply networks in rural areas. The article delves into the technological innovations, if any, adopted for optimizing water distribution, storage, and management.

A participatory approach for characterizing the resilience of rural water supply systems in semi-arid areas

A participatory approach for characterizing the resilience of rural water supply systems in semi-arid areas

Challenges in developing trust in the rural drinking water supply systems

Abstract The water sector in developing countries continues to tackle the emergent challenges of increasing demand for water by the growing population, poor cost recovery from the users, ageing infrastructure and intermittent water supply regime. The national and sub-national governments entrusted the community to tackle these challenges. This led to the emergence of community-managed rural water supply systems where ‘Building Trust with Stakeholders’ is an essential concern for the sustainable functioning of the rural drinking water supply schemes. Trust is developed by engaging stakeholders in decision-making and the overall knowledge-sharing process. However, maintaining and sustaining trust is challenging in the context of the above-mentioned challenges. Amongst all the concerned stakeholders of the water sector, building the service provider's trust with the residential water users is an important aspect. Building upon the given context, this study attempts to understand the trustful relationship among the three key stakeholders of the rural drinking water sector: Scheme operating agencies, village local self-government bodies and their residential water users. The study aims to utilise the learnings from the trust research to empirically understand the factors shaping the trustful relationship between the stakeholders in India's rural drinking water sector.

Evaluation of Groundwater Suitability for Drinking Purposes Using GIS and WQI in Chikkaballapura Taluk, Karnataka, India

In the present study, groundwater samples were analysed to determine the suitability of groundwater for drinking use in Chikkaballapura taluk (CBT) in 2019. The tests were conducted on the groundwater twice a year, during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The results of 12 physico chemical parameters were used for the calculation of the water quality index (WQI). ArcGIS was used in the study to plot the spatial variation of chloride, nitrate, and fluoride. In urban areas, WQI ranged from 42.94 to 204 during the pre-monsoon season and from 62.67 to 153.93 during the post-monsoon season. Similarly, in rural areas, WQI ranged from 47.78 to 245.98 during the pre-monsoon season and from 35.92 to 405.63 during the post-monsoon season. The results of the WQI show that most samples fall into poor water categories according to the quality rating scale. Also, the results revealed that both in Chikkaballapura rural (CBR) and Chikkaballapura urban (CBU), most of the groundwater samples exceeded the drinking water quality limits during the pre-monsoon season when compared to the post-monsoon season. High levels of fluoride were found in Thippanahalli, Doddapailagurki, Poshettihalli, Kuppahalli, Mandikal and Ajjivara grama panchayaths and a significantly high concentration of nitrate was found in Addagallu and Manchanabele grama panchayaths during the pre-monsoon season in CBR. It was suggested that constant monitoring of groundwater quality in contaminated areas be carried out to prevent further deterioration and related problems and that rainwater harvesting practices be encouraged to help reduce the load on urban and rural water supply systems.

Sustainability Assessment of Rural Water Supply System

The commitment to provide clean water and proper sanitation is one of the goals of the Sustainable Development Programs (SDGs). The government of each region needs to strive for clean water for the community. Efforts to fulfill clean water can be realized with the Water Supply System. Water Supply System sustainability indicators need to fulfill three aspects of quality, quantity, and continuity. The aim of this research is to assess the sustainability of the ‘Sugio’ Water Supply System in Lamongan Regency which serves three villages, namely Sugio, Lebakadi, and Sekarbagus. The aspect of water quality, seen from the results of the analysis of the quality of production water, shows that it meets the quality standards as raw water for drinking water. The aspect of water quantity is calculated to meet water needs for the next 20 years. The calculations results show that the daily average debit requirement is 17 L/s and the daily maximum debit is 19 L/s, while the existing debit is 15 L/s. The aspect of water continuity is calculated from the ability to distribute water during an emergency. The calculation results show that the distribution of clean water when there is no source of electrical energy can only be carried out in a maximum of 1 hour 13 minutes 48 seconds. The conclusion obtained is that the sustainability of the ‘Sugio’ Water Supply System from the aspect of water quantity and continuity still needs to be improved.

Sustainability Assessment of Rural Water Supply System in Lamongan, Indonesia

The commitment to provide clean water and proper sanitation is one of the goals of the Sustainable Development Programs (SDGs). The government of each region needs to strive for clean water for the community. Efforts to provide clean water can be realized with the Water Supply System. Water Supply System sustainability indicators need to fulfill three aspects of quality, quantity, and continuity. The aim of this research was to assess the sustainability of the ‘Sugio’ Water Supply System in Lamongan Regency, which served three villages, namely Sugio, Lebakadi, and Sekarbagus. The aspect of water quality, seen from the results of the analysis of the quality of production water, met the quality standards for drinking water. The aspect of water quantity was calculated to meet water needs for the next 20 years. The calculation showed that the daily average debit requirement was 17 L/s and the daily maximum debit was 19 L/s, while the existing debit was 15 L/s. The aspect of water continuity was calculated by the ability to distribute water during an emergency. The calculation showed that the distribution of clean water when there was no source of electrical energy could only be carried out in a maximum of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 48 seconds. The conclusion obtained was that the sustainability of the ‘Sugio’ Water Supply System from the perspective of water quantity and continuity needed to be improved.

Tariff setting for the sustainability of communal water points in Mangochi District, Malawi

Abstract The Malawian Government adopted a community-based management model for rural water supply systems, which assumes that users would cover costs related to the operation and maintenance (O&M) of their communal water points through regular cash contributions. These communal water points are mostly boreholes fitted with Afridev hand pumps. However, studies have shown that Afridev hand pumps continue to fail within 3–5 years after installation, despite having a design lifespan of 10–15 years, mostly due to insufficient O&M. Therefore, this study assessed the adequacy of tariffs being used at different water points in Mangochi District in Malawi through a household (HH) survey with a sample size of 288 HHs and a market prices survey. The results showed that 90% of the HHs were making contributions that could not sustainably support the lifecycle O&M costs or the afterlife replacement of the Afridev hand pump. This study suggests a consistent minimum annual water point fund collection of MWK142,050 (US$172.29)1. It is recommended that the study be replicated in other areas. It is also recommended that further studies should focus on HH affordability with respect to the recommended tariff.

Key Factors Influencing Functionality of Community-Managed Rural Water Supply System in Nepal

The paper aims at examining key factors influencing the functionality of the community-managed rural water supply system in developing countries like Nepal. The study adopts a descriptive cum analytical research design based on primary data only. The required data were collected through a telephone interview using a semi-structured questionnaire on a sample of 486 respondents from the respective community-managed rural water supply projects. The collected data were analyzed using correlation, chi-square test, Cramer’s V, and cross-tabulation to find out the results leading to major findings of the study. The study concludes that the key factors influencing the functionality of the community-managed rural water supply system are the systems’ caretakers followed by the operation and maintenance fund, the activeness of the users’ committee, and the availability of spare parts in the context of Nepal.

Rural Water Supply Systems in Nepal: Factors Affecting Equitable Access to Water

Issues of gender and social inclusion in the governance mechanism of rural water supply systems have been a major concern of users, policymakers, and practitioners in Nepal. Amid changing livelihood context due to migration, transition to a federal governance structure, and social hierarchies, communities face persistent inequities in access to safe water, while its supply continues to diminish. In this context, increasing competition for water has in many instances resulted in the fulfillment of water needs of some groups, while compromising the water needs of others. In such instances, it is usually the poor and marginalized groups who are disproportionately affected. Moreover, understanding the factors affecting equitable access to an adequate supply of water now particularly after Nepal’s entry into the new federal governance system, and COVID-19 pandemic is paramount.
 Based on the learnings of 3-year research project that seeks to understand the role of gender and power dynamics in the functionality of community water systems, this paper will provide insights on collective water management practices. A mix of qualitative inquiries such as focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, social and institutional mapping, and observation were utilized to collect the data. This paper will present evidence from the project sites highlighting how community institutions are managing the supply and distribution of water particularly by discussing factors influencing equitable water supply.

Management Models and the Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Systems: An Analytical Investigation in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam

Clean water and sanitation is a global issue that has recently received special attention from governments and international organizations, as they essential to enhance people’s health and foster socio-economic development in different countries. Therefore, one of the United Nations’ Millennium Goals is to ensure access to safe drinking water for all as its target by 2030. However, ensuring water supply in rural regions, especially in developing countries, is a challenge. To meet the target, investing in infrastructure and maintaining the sustainability of water systems is crucial. This study takes into account the role of the management model of rural water supply systems and its relationship with the sustainability of the water systems. A weighing procedure for a sustainability assessment of rural water systems for the current study was proposed, then an ordered logit regression model was applied to examine the relationship between types of water system management models and the sustainability of the water systems in the context of Vietnam. The results from this study showed that type of management model had an influence on the sustainability of rural water supply systems, and the private management model was considered the one that significantly contributed to the sustainability of the rural water systems in the study area. The study provides some lessons learned for researchers in the field of rural water supply to select appropriate approaches to assess the sustainability of water systems and for policymakers to modify current policies toward more sustainable development of water infrastructure in the future, especially in developing countries.

A multi-criteria multidimensional model for optimal selection of rural water supply systems

Abstract Water supply is a crucial concern for planners across all countries, especially in rural communities. This paper proposes a multidimensional approach to examining the effective criteria for water supply projects in rural areas of Iran. The study compares alternative methods of project implementation and employs three multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods: analytical hierarchy process (AHP), Fuzzy-AHP, and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to prioritize criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives. The results indicate that, among the five options analyzed, diverting water from the river and constructing temporary storage dams are the highest priorities, while pipeline branching to the nearby city or village is given the lowest priority. The study reveals that environmental and economic criteria are more critical than social-security and technical-management criteria, while negative environmental impacts and the possibility of risk-taking by subversive agents are the most important among the 14 sub-criteria studied.